Go By Train
by Shimegami-chan
Summary: One-shot. A tour of the Excess Express. Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door fanfic, no spoilers.


Paper Mario 2 belongs to Nintendo, not to me.

And no, I haven't spiraled off into a new fandom, heh. I wrote this piece for my Creative Writing class and I'm afraid I just can't keep original things from turning into fanfiction.

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Go By Train

_by Shimegami-chan_

w w w . shimegami . com / ichijouji

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So, you're going on a trip? Yes; I've been there, I traveled on the Excess Express, and what a memory that was!

It's a three-day ride, of course, and you pay for every moment you enjoy their luxury train. It leaves from the station at 4 o'clock sharp; arrive one minute after and you will surely miss it, so don't be late!

You have to buy tickets before you get on board. They're impossible to get, really, unless you know the right people. Being a close personal friend of Don Pianta has its perks, but if that kind of option isn't available to you, you can always just pay the scandalously high fare.The accommodations are well worth the money, I assure you!

When you're ready to go, give your ticket to the mushroom at the door and step aboard. You'll have a cabin to yourself - stow your suitcase, but don't relax on the soft bunk bed just yet. Your room is filled with touches to remind you of home - red velvet curtains, nightstand and a vase of begonias, plush carpet and a bolted-down lamp on a polished table. A chandelier hangs above two crimson-padded chairs.

Your neighbours will be polite, yet aloof. Many of those who travel on the Express are wealthy, and very obviously so! The men wear suits and the women expensive jewels upon their fingers, and they tend to stay to their cabins, but you need not. Traveling on the Express is an experience to be enjoyed, and if you have a taste for the old-fashioned atmosphere as well, you'll love it as much as I do. So leave the cabin, and explore the other areas!

In the dining car, a harried waitress will greet you at the door. She is young and wears pearl seashell earrings and a tired-looking smile. She will gesture at the tables laden with white china and pristine tablecloths - would you like something to eat? The candelabra are secured to the table but the dishes clatter with the movement of the train. No, not yet, I've had supper, thank you.

The kitchen, beyond the dining room, is curiously open to observers. The chef will be wearing his traditional white hat as he stirs a pot of something on the stove. The Express ferries a small number of passengers, so the menu boasts only two choices for this evening's repast. Oh - I envy you if it's the pasta. I can almost smell it simmering in the pot. Well, go on, there's more!

Past the kitchen area is the gift shop. Humble and small, the tiny storekeeper sells only the necessities for travel and the occasional souvenir. The prices are lower than one might expect, and you might stop to look at the trinkets on the counter top, knowing you shouldn't buy. You don't have any use for those spirals, other than just to admire them, right?

You can move on from here, but the rest of the train is cabins, and the locked luggage car in the back. You might return to your room, or maybe visit the conductor in the front. He would likely be entertaining children now (or perhaps the other way around) and welcomes every passenger who comes to visit. The front viewport is the best place to see the scenery from; rushing up and at you before flying past.

Step back into the hallway lined with cabins. The ornate fixtures on the walls cast light on the plush red carpet, which, incidentally, one practically sinks into. Come out wearing only socks in the morning - you'll thank me.

In your room, the sun might now be setting outside the window as the countryside speeds by. The first stop is a long while away - lie down on your bed and crawl under the fleecy blankets. A journey on the Excess Express involves the tasting of many comforts, and you will have plenty of time. Oh, how envious I am! If only I could go traveling, too!

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Author's Note: That was the best damn chapter in the game. I LOVE the Excess Express! :)


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